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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Summer Read

For last week's challenge, Carol Marine shared this striking photo I instantly
wanted to paint (even if it took me a week to start.)

For me, turning this reference into a painting required two
things.

Rearranging
and tightening the composition. I moved the bicycle behind the umbrella, took out empty
space at the top, and turned the blanket so the sides are not parallel
with edges of the painting.

Making the strong complementary colors relate to each other—putting oranges
and purples in the green, greens and purples in the blue blanket, color in
the white dress, etc. I also muted the color of the bike, which I possibly
should have removed altogether and

lightened the shadows, keeping in mind that photos always make them darker than they really are.

Thanks, Stephanie. My Rocklin neighbor who bought this on DPW told me the same thing when he bought an earlier painting. As I told him, figures separate the men from the boys, and I should do more, even though they are not my strong suit. My biggest obstacle is not having easy access to models and/or time to attend painting sessions with models. No, east of Sacramento in the foothills, we didn't feel anything. They say a bigger one IS coming sometime in the next 20 years, and I'm driving to San Francisco weekly right now; so that makes me a little nervous!

Welcome!

If you are shopping for an illustrator,I am occasionally still available for assignments. My books and illustration samples can be seen under the "Books" and "A Few Illustrations" tabs above. Additional samples available by email. Available paintings can be seen in the "Gallery" tab above or under the "available" link below.